GLASS

Architect Rene Gonzalez’s first residential high-rise project is an unqualified success. GLASS, a new 18-story tower developed by Miami-based Terra, is located at 120 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood, which has emerged over the past decade as one of the city’s most desirable destinations for luxury high-rise living. With closings nearly complete, residents of the sold-out tower are expected to begin moving in this month. GLASS is the result of a collaborative effort between Rene Gonzalez Architect (RGA) and Terra, one of South Florida’s most active real estate development firms. Comprised of only ten full-floor residences and situated just steps away from the ocean, the all-glass tower reflects the natural qualities inherent to Miami Beach through its design. GLASS marks one of the first new residential developments to be completed in the City of Miami Beach in almost five years, as well as the last high-rise to be built in the exclusive ‘South of Fifth’ enclave due to zoning restrictions. RGA’s work has been critically acknowledged for its success in integrating the interior and exterior environment. “The inspiration for GLASS has everything to do with the beauty of the building’s surroundings; we wanted to create a substantial and substantive piece of architecture that pays deference to its environment and urban condition,” says architect Rene Gonzalez. Light and ethereal, GLASS is a response to its site, context, and environment. The building dematerializes as it rises, with its exterior almost disappearing into the atmosphere and its compositional use of fritted, patterned glass. GLASS reflects, captures, and abstracts the natural landscape of sand, sea, and sky, while retaining the essence of place through its architectural design, its materials, surface textures, and tonal color. “GLASS embodies Terra’s approach to responsible development that strengthens neighborhoods through innovative design and planning,” says developer David Martin, President of Terra. “We could have built up to 45 units on this site, but downscaled to only ten units. Our belief that ‘less is more’ in real estate, coupled with the designs of Rene Gonzalez and Raymond Jungles, has delivered a stronger finished product and enhanced value for our residents and neighbors.” The building’s entrance is an immersive environment – at once luxurious and elemental, with natural light and areas with water that evoke the beach. Referencing the visual effect of waves meeting the shore and receding into the sand, the porous Coquina stone, which contains fragments of shell and coral, becomes gradually interspersed with small rectangles of smooth, blue Macauba quartzite that reaches a greater density at the elevator, signaling the transition between sand and sea. The pool level is all about water. Framing a view of the Atlantic Ocean from the deck, tropical vegetation moves in the breeze. The tower itself conveys the qualities of the sky. Open floor plans with 360–degree views and expansive terraces with sliding doors blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space. Inside, the ceilings of each of the ten exclusive units echo this natural element with grayscale tones, darker at the lower floors and lightest at the level of the penthouse. Mirrored walls at every entry reflect an expansive view of the ocean. Indicating the shift between night and day, each foyer also contains a custom ceiling combining a translucent latex surface and a programmable lighting system. The density of lights is carefully choreographed at each level, evoking the star-lit canopy of both urban and rural skies. Delicate and sensorial, the design of GLASS is a considered response to its setting in Miami Beach, specifically intended to allow one to experience the surrounding natural landscape. “My goal is to shift perceptions of space and design, and evoke powerful emotions of well-being through my work,” adds Gonzalez. “Architecture offers us the opportunity to engage in conversation with our world, merging culture with nature and people with their environment.” About Rene Gonzalez Architect Founded in 1997 in Miami, Rene Gonzalez Architect (RGA) believes that a building is inexorably linked to the cultural and natural environment beyond its physical footprint. The work intentionally blurs traditional lines and creates an active “design conversation” with a site’s ambient elements. Detail-oriented and contemporary, the award-winning firm specializes in the design of museum and gallery spaces, hospitality, commercial, retail and residential projects. RGA strives to shift perceptions of design and open up a dialogue with the spaces we occupy. Gonzalez is the first Miami architect in 50 years to be honored twice for projects in Miami – suggesting that he is having a profound impact on the quality of the built environment of his hometown. For more information, visit www.renegonzalezarchitect.com.